C5Brett

1. The clutch is much closer to the floor than the A4. If it's engaging really high, the clutch could be on it's last legs at this point. Did you try driving the car in a high gear/low rpms? (of course not, you were too busy having fun)
-------------------------------------------------
High to me is anywhere higher than right off the
floor. It seemed to me like it was enguaging at
roughly half of the pedal travel. It could indeed
be worn and that's not something thr warranty
would cover. But it did grab firm I noticed no
slippage once it grabbed. And yes I did drive the
car in higher gears at low RPM it labored along
nicely.


2. Shifter is crap. You can improve it somewhat, with a shorter throw shifter, and a DTS (prevents driveline lash), but just know, you're merely improving on crap. Sit in a 2004 S4, and feel the shifter in that car. When you're done with your 2000 S4, it will feel NOTHING like that. That's the honest truth. On the positive side (for you), it appears that you like a mechanial feel to your shifter, rather than a *snick* *snick* feel. So perhaps a short shifter on an S4 would be heaven on earth for you? Just don't shift too fast, or the little glass synchros that Audi included will shatter.

Shifter is crap = Understatement.. It may be fine
for a grandma who takes 10 seconds to find a gear
but to me it was horrible and locating the gears
was difficult. I am used to my B&M Ripper which
is "Tight" and "Notchy" in other words "Precise".
You *know* when you have positively enguaged a
gear but I didn't feel that way in the S4 at all.

I would be afraid to even attempt power shifting
it with the stock shifter. But I can slam the
gears in the Vette hard all day long.

Are the Synchro's really *that* fragile? I guess
the Vette's tranny is a little more robust but it
makes sense considering it's the same tranny used
in the Viper and numerous other high HP/TQ vehicles.

-------------------------------------------------

3. Suspension...are you serious? It's the german answer to cadillac. It's comfortable, but "flat in corners" it is not. Lot's of roll, dive, and squat. The car pushes like a pig. Coming from a vette, I would expect that you would pick up on this (and object) immediately. *shrug*

I swear this car felt nothing like a German Caddy
at all. I didn't (or wasn't able to) hang it out
in the turns that hard at all. At regular speeds
it felt pretty firm in the corners.

I am sure it's not "Vette" flat in the corners.
I doubt even a complete aftermarket suspension
will be as stiff as my Z51 suspension is on the
Vette (EG: No Roll). But for what the car is, it
felt pretty good to me. The problem is you guys
all want a race car in sedan form. I just want a
sedan that runs good Hehe! I am getting rid of
the "race car"!
--------------------------------------------------


4. I do like the brakes coming from my A4. My more bite, and much more effective for street driving. They are a 2 pot caliper, not 4. Put this car on the track, and you'll find that the brakes are a weak point. They aren't enough to manage the weight of a chipped S4. At the very least, you'll need a 2 piece floating rotor, or you'll warp a set of front rotors everytime you get them warmed up. Problem is, nobody makes *inexpensive* 2 pc floating rotors, so most folks start investigating aftermarket brake upgrades ($1500-2000).

Wow I thought for sure those big calipers were 4
pot jobs.. They must have two huge pistons like
the Vette has.. Yes good for the street but on a
road course brake fade sets in fast.. Need more
piston area and surface area in general to get rid
of all the heat. And like you said floating rotors
are nice too. But I don't think they are a must.
I think proper lug torque is the key to rotor
longevity on any vehicle. The Vette's will warp
rotors too, but it's usually because the lugs
were not torqued to spec.
--------------------------------------------------


It's a nice car, but as each day passes, I'm reminded that it's a luxo-cruiser, first and foremost. If that's what you're looking for, you found it. If a sports car is what you're interested, don't let the torquey motor fool you, because it ain't a sports car.


Point well taken. If you are looking for the
ultimate performance vehicles perhaps something
with less than 4 doors and 4 seats is the answer.
I have been there and done that 4 times and I just
think it's time to move on. The S4 felt very sport
like in respects but it's not going to feel like
say, a Miata or S2K or Vette or Viper or any
other 2 door 2 seater.

But it is a very nice driving car that will get
me through the snow safely and have a lot of fun
driving in the process. I think I want an S4 for
the right reasons I just have to get rid of my
Vette without getting royaly screwed and then just
go to the dealer with cash in hand.

I may very well miss this S4.. But if I do I am
sure I can find another and the next one may be
an even better deal. But one thing is for certain
I have been bit!

RNO.Audi

can you link to the past thread?

odelay12v

<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/2062438.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/2062438.phtml</a</li></ul>

C5Brett

Thanks beat me to it

azndrunk74

You're not gettin an A4 for a daily driver anymore?

C5Brett

The 1.8t just didn't seem like a good enough place
for me to start just to get to the level the stock
S4's are at. And I like V6's and the nice smooth
torque curve of the S4 seemed like it would make
for a fun drive (and the test drive confirmed
this!)

And really the S4's are not that much more.. I
was looking at 15K for a 1.8T A4 and I am looking
at 20-25K for a reasonable milage S4.

Plus I won't have to buy all those body parts for
the S4.. I will just take out the front lower
grills, install mesh, RS4 Grill, catback and then
do the Downpipes and Forge DV's and a Chip if
whatever car I get doesn't have one.. Etc.

RKA

Synchros are more or less the only real issue with the OEM gearbox. Beat on the tranny, and they won't last. Shift like a granny, and they will be fine. It's a shame really.

Mike suggested you might have an aftermarket suspension in the car. I would tend to agree based on your feedback so far. Take a look behind the rear wheel. Maroon shock is OEM, anything yellow is aftermarket, and anything with a threaded body is a coilover of some sort. The OEM S4 suspension has more float than the A4 sport suspension. Combine that with a chipped engine, and mike was right...it handles like a whale. I'm not looking for a race car suspension in this car...because it isn't possible. I'm looking for a car that can maintain some degree of composure well into triple digits. Unfortunately, with this car, in order to achieve that, I've given up some of it's "daily finesse". :-/ It's a personal choice, and everyone has their own tastes.

Torquing lug bolts is a no brainer. And I'm religious about checking the bolts. On the track, you'll still warp those rotors in short order. Do a search...common problem. 3650 lb car, with and addt'l 20% hp and almost 50% more torque beyond what the factory gave you. All that power has to go somewhere when you're on a track.

All that said, I'm still not convinced you found the perfect car. At first I believe your intention was to keep the vette, and supplement with a daily driver (A4). Seems like now you've found a way to combine a daily driver and fun car all into one vehicle (the S4), so you're considering selling the vette. To me this is like buying an all season tire. Two different tires are better suited to handle a variety of conditions, but one single tire almost always ends up being a compromise. You seem to genuinely enjoy driving the vette. If you're ready to give that up, then you'll probably enjoy the S. If you're looking for an all-in-one solution, you're making compromises. I'm just not certain what it is you're looking to accomplish here.